Bird guide · Quiscalus major
Boat-tailed Grackle
What the boat-tailed grackle eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 16.5 in (42 cm)
- Eats
- seeds, grain
- Feeds
- ground, tray/platform
- Most common
- Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana
Food
What do boat-tailed grackles eat?
At feeders, boat-tailed grackles take seeds, grain.
Forages near water and sometimes steals food from other birds.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do boat-tailed grackles live?
Atlantic and Gulf coasts; seldom far from tidewater except in Florida. By share of all bird sightings, boat-tailed grackles are most common in Florida (1.6%).
States where boat-tailed grackles are most common
- Florida1.6%
- South Carolina0.6%
- Louisiana0.6%
- Georgia0.3%
- North Carolina0.3%
- New Jersey0.3%
- Delaware0.3%
- Mississippi0.2%
- Alabama0.2%
- Texas0.1%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are boat-tailed grackles, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the boat-tailed grackle migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in February.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are boat-tailed grackles, by month.
Identification
How to identify the boat-tailed grackle
Male: Glossy black with a long keel-shaped tail; male 38–50 cm.
Female: Much smaller (27–34 cm) and brown.
Size: 16.5 in (42 cm)
On camera
Getting the boat-tailed grackle on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Boat-tailed Grackle: questions
What do boat-tailed grackles eat?
At feeders, seeds, grain.
Do boat-tailed grackles migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in February.
Where do boat-tailed grackles live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina. They are rare or absent in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia.
What does a female boat-tailed grackle look like?
Much smaller (27–34 cm) and brown.
More birds